Taming of the Beast
by dragonchic
Summary: WolverineStorm third in the Desert Rose series. With a little advice from the Xkids, Logan and Ororo go on their first date. [On Hiatus]
1. Jean, Kitty…this really isn’t necessary

Disclaimer: Don't sue me…be happy…

Rating: **PG** just to be on the safe side

Summary: Third fic in the (rather old now) Desert Rose series. With a little advice from the X-kids, Wolv and Storm go on their first date (altogether now, awwwww). If you haven't read the first two fics in this series, please do. There's some development in there that I think is important to making this couple seem natural.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback concerning the first two fics! I know I'm REALLY late with this, but I hope you like this one! Please review, and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Taming of the Beast

Logan nervously adjusted his tie for the third time. Two anxious glances were given to the clock and the mirror, respectively. A wry smile came across his features, which in itself was enough to let anyone know something unusual was going on. 

He never smiled.

 A small laugh escaped his throat, keeping with the trend of uncharacteristic behavior. "Well what do you know," Logan thought to himself. "Able to take on some of the most powerful mutants in the world, and yet your most formidable and terrifying task yet is taking the woman you care about out on a date." He shook his head. "If I don't watch it Ro's gonna soften me up faster than butter in a microwave." 

Ok, that was the stupidest analogy he'd ever heard. 

Came outta nowhere and was one of the most random things he'd ever thought of. And he wasn't one that people would associate with stuff like that. How'd that make its way into his thinking? Maybe that's one of those things love does to you…

Love?

Logan frowned. Was he in love? For God's sake, this was only his first date with 'Roro. Sure he cared about her, but was it ok to use the L-word this early on? How deep did his feelings for her run anyway?

Well, Logan mused as he regarded his reflection in the mirror, whether they involved the L-word or not, those feelings had to be worth something if he were willing to dress up like this. He looked ridiculous. Formal attire was not his forte. He'd been lucky to find this long forgotten suit concealed in the dark corners of his closet. And why wouldn't it be? He felt cramped and out of place in most social situations. Especially those that fell on the high end of the social elitist ladder. 

And now here he was, dressed up and about to go to a high class Italian restaurant whose name he couldn't even begin to pronounce. He shook his head. _The things I do for ya Ro…_

A knock at the door caught his attention. One dark eyebrow arched. Who the hell could that be? He was meeting Ro downstairs, and if there were an emergency the Professor would contact him telepathically. And needless to say, he usually didn't get too many visitors to his room with the intention of dropping by to "chat"…

Another knock at the door, this one a bit more insistent. Logan groaned. "Alright already, I'm coming," he growled as he opened the door, only to reveal Scott, Evan, and Kurt. Logan furrowed his brow. "What'ere you kids doing here?" 

*******

"Jean, Kitty…this really isn't necessary," Ororo trailed off as Kitty sat her down in front of the vanity.

"Oh please Miss Munroe," Kitty bubbled as she sorted through the infinite stash of make-up and hair supplies she'd brought in, "It like totally is! This is your first date since…well since I've like even known you, and you just _have_ to look gorgeous!"

"I've got to agree with Kitty," Jean added as she shuffled through Ororo's closet. "A date at _Luna D'argento _is not something to be taken lightly." She paused. "Although I don't quite know what to say about your knight in shining armor…"

Kitty giggled. "I know! Since when is Mr. Logan like, a romantic?" She laughed. "I just can't see him covering your bed with wildflowers, or serenading you under a moonlight balcony…" she trailed off, giggling at a mental image of the latter.

A light smile graced Ororo's lips. "Romance does not necessarily have a dictionary definition Kitty," she began. "Different people express it in different ways…some more subtly then others."

"Well then Logan's gotta be as subtle as you can get," Rogue stated as she struggled under the weight of the dresses Jean had asked her to bring in. She heaved the dresses onto the bed and faced the others. "I'm talking so subtle, it's bordering on non-existant."

Ororo sighed as Kitty ran a brush through her hair. "It's true that Logan is not always the most expressive of us when it comes to his feelings," she said. "But they're there…he's just not used to letting them show."

Jean smirked. "Wonder who that reminds me of," she remarked, glancing at Rogue.

Letting the comment slide by with just a slight glare directed at Jean, Rogue examined the pile of clothes in front of her. Why the hell did Ms. Perfect have so many formal dresses? It's not like they regularly got opportunities to wear them, she thought as she picked another dress up, looked it over, and tossed it into the growing reject pile being fed by Ro's and Jean's dress collections.

Jean sighed as she turned away from Ororo's closet and proceeded to help Rogue sort through the pile of dresses that belonged to her. She stopped momentarily and looked up at Ororo. "Just what were you planning on wearing anyway?"

Ororo gestured towards a dress draped on a chair near the wall. Jean picked it up and inspected it. "It's not bad," she mused, looking over the velvety fabric that made up the short lavender dress. "But it's too plain," she stated. "You need something better,"

Ororo glanced at Jean, a hint of apprehension on her features. "I really was not going to make such a big deal out of this…" 

"Like hello?" Kitty began. "_Luna D'argento? _This **is** a big deal."

Jean agreed. "You've got to knock Logan's socks off tonight," she said. "And with our help, you'll do just that."

"Personally, Ah just wanna see Mr. Congeniality in a penguin suit," Rogue muttered, adding her two cents.

The comment earned a light laugh from the weather witch. "I do not believe Logan is wearing a tux Rogue," she replied. 

"Yeah, well whatever," Rogue stated, still rummaging through Jean's dresses. She suddenly paused. "Hey…" she began, picking one up, "what about this one?"

Kitty immediately got stars in her eyes. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Oh Miss Munroe, you just _have _to wear that one! It's perfect!"

A small smile crept up Jean's lips. The color complimented Ororo nicely and it was just elegant enough for a place like _Luna D'argento_,without going over the top. "I'm going to agree with Kitty yet again," she said. "That's the one." She turned to face Ororo again. "Well now that choosing a dress is out of the way, we can get to work on your hair. How did you plan on wearing it?"

"I was just going to leave it down," Ororo began.

Kitty shook her head. "No way are we letting you get away with that," she stated. "Whether you like it or not, we're going to do _something_ with your hair…French twist it, pin it up, or curl it at the least. And after that," Kitty said, grinning, "it's time for makeup. I've like got the _perfect_ shade of eyeshadow to go with that dress." 

Jean nodded. "But first," she said, thrusting the dress into Ororo's arms. "Put this on. We'll get to the hair and make-up part after we see you in it."

Sighing, Ororo walked into a corner of the room, the dress in tow, and began to change while Kitty bubbled on excitedly about ideas for Ro's make-up. Rogue rolled her eyes. The dress she didn't mind helping out with, but the mention of light pink lipstick was her cue to leave. She began to slowly slide out the door before Kitty grabbed her arm.   
  


"Oh no," she said, dragging a groaning Rogue back inside. "You're not through helping us yet." 

**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mansion…**

"Watch it elf," a certain X-Men growled. "One more puppy dog analogy outta you and I'm havin' Forge send ya back to that hellhole you teleport through,_ permanently_." 

***To Be Continued***

Oh dear! Why is Logan so ticked? What has poor Nightcrawler said? What are the guys doing at Logan's door anyway? Will Ororo survive Jean and Kitty's "help"? Why won't Jean and Kitty just let 'Ro get ready on her own? And will Rogue manage to escape the torment of giggles and pretty pink lipstick? Oh the humanity! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Review if you want more!


	2. Underneath it all, you're a sweet little...

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Happy? I'm not.

A/N: Yes I am late in updating. Very late. I just had no clue as to where I was going with this story. This chapter is up because it seems that I have _fans_. As in people who have actually been waiting for this since I posted _Gotcha_ over a year ago! Whoa. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed--I am battling severe writer's block just for you. :o) Not much romance in this chapter—just some good old fashioned sillyness. The style for this piece is going to be different from that of _Desert Rose _and _Gotcha_, but the change isn't too drastic.

_Last Chapter:_  Another knock at the door, this one a bit more insistent. Logan groaned. "Alright already, I'm coming," he growled as he opened the door, only to reveal Scott, Evan, and Kurt. Logan furrowed his brow. "What'ere you kids doing here?" 

Taming of the Beast: Chapter Two

Logan scowled as the three boys wordlessly let themselves into his room. "You three got a sudden hearing problem or are you just ignoring the question?"

"Oh we're not ignoring you," Kurt spoke up, grinning. "In fact, we're here to help you!"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Help me? With what?"

"With getting ready for your date of course," Kurt replied.

Logan snorted. "You three? Giving me romantic advice?"

"What's wrong with that?" Scott asked.

"I just think ya oughta sort out your own romantic messes before turning my life into one."

"Look man," Evan cut in, "Those two are here to help you out. I'm just here to lay down a few ground rules."

"Ground rules?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow. Oh this would be interesting.

"Yeah," Evan explained, his voice stern. "If you wanna take my Auntie O out for the night, there are certain expectations I have for how you're gonna treat her."

Logan snorted. "Don't worry kid. I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"If he even knows how to be one," Kurt whispered to Scott. He grinned sheepishly as Logan sent a glare his way. "That's what we're here for, remember?"

The older man groaned. Someone upstairs most definitely had it in for 'im.

*******

"Oh Ororo," Kitty breathed, "You look absolutely gorgeous!"

"I agree," Jean added, "You're going to knock Logan's socks off tonight."

Ororo self-consciously tried to pull the top of the dress up a bit. "It seems a little low cut, don't you think?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. Jean owning something that seemed a little low cut? _Never…_

"Oh please," Kitty replied. "Mr. Logan's probably seen worse."

One white eyebrow arched. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" Ororo asked.

Kitty smile sheepishly. "Well I dunno, I mean it's just that Mr. Logan seems like…" she trailed off seeing the look on Ororo's face. "Well…"

"It's not important," Jean cut in. "We've only got twenty minutes to get your hair and make-up done. So I think it's in our best interest that we get started."

"Alright!" Kitty exclaimed, grateful that the focus had been shifted from her ill-timed comment. "Let the primping begin! I call hair!"

"I call make-up then," Jean said.

"And I call leaving," Rogue stated, once again trying to sneak out the door. 

"What did I tell you?" Kitty scowled, grabbing Rogue and dragging her towards the vanity. "You can like, help me decide what to do with all this hair," she said, grabbing a handful and twisting it experimentally. "Or help Jean pick out some make-up. Whatever it is, we're not letting you get out of this one."

Rogue blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Great."

*******

"Now the first thing you gotta do be suave," Scott explained. "Like James Bond. Well, except for the womanizing, compulsive gambling, chain smoking, and killing people parts."

"But you gotta be funny too!" Kurt interjected. "Like Jim Carrey."

"Somehow I don't think being both James Bond and Jim Carrey is going to work Kurt," Scott replied dryly.

"Sure it would," Kurt replied. "You just have to be subtle."

"Subtle and Jim Carrey definitely do not belong in the same sentence," Scott stated.

"Well fine then," Kurt replied, annoyed. "What do you suggest?"

"Well," Scott began thoughtfully, "he'll have to be elegant."

"Refined," Kurt agreed nodding his head. "Oh, and he should be humble too."  
  


"Remember to be thoughtful," Scott added, addressing Logan.

"And polite," Kurt said.

"Sophisticated."

"Entertaining."

"Pleasant."

"And sensitive," Kurt added. "You've got to show her that you're more than some tough-guy mutant that loves slicing things up. Show her that underneath all that, you're a sweet little puppy dog, forlorn and desperate for love," Kurt concluded, sighing.

Logan turned to Kurt, a displeased look playing along his features. "Watch it elf," he growled. "One more puppy dog analogy outta you and I'm havin' Forge send ya back to that hellhole you teleport through,_ permanently_."

"Heh heh," Kurt replied, suddenly feeling quite uncomfortable. "You got it."

*******

"Ouch!" Ororo exclaimed as a the end of a hair pin dug itself into her scalp. "Kitty, I'm grateful for your help, but please try to go easier on the hair pins."

"Oh, sorry Ororo," Kitty replied. "It's just kinda hard to hold this style up."

"It looks fantastic though," Jean reassured Kitty. "Just don't move your head around too much."

"Yeah," Kitty agreed. "As long as Magneto and his lackeys don't show up, you should be fine."

"With our luck though, they'll drop in to give y'all their blessing," Rogue muttered. Putting the finishing touches on the ringlets framing Ororo's face, she stepped back. "How's that look?"

"Great Rogue," Jean replied, glancing at Ororo's hair. She lightly dabbed some blush on Ororo's cheeks. "Hmm," she said, stepping back to admire their work. "Well girls, what do you think?"

"She looks beautiful!" Kitty bubbled. "Logan won't know what hit him!"

Rogue nodded in agreement. Sure she didn't really want to be part of this impromptu make-over team, but she had nothing against Ororo. And she had to admit, Ororo looked great. Logan would be floored.

Jean glanced at the clock. "Well Miss. Munroe, I believe it's your time to shine." She gently ushered her out the door. "Knock 'im dead," she whispered, winking.

*******

"And finally, I expect you to have her back by 11, and then go to sleep, _in your own rooms_," Evan said, following Logan down the stairs leading to the mansion's foyer.

Logan rolled his eyes. Yeesh. He was just taking the kid's aunt out for dinner; it wasn't like he planned on spending the night with her in some seedy motel room.

"Are you listening to me man?" Evan asked, annoyed. "Cause I really don't want to have to do a room check tonight."

"Don't worry about it porcupine," Logan replied gruffly. "I've already told you, I'll be a gentleman."

"Like James Bond?" Scott piped up, leaning over the stairs' railing with Kurt.

Logan glared. "Go back to yer rooms," he growled.

"Yessir," Kurt replied, scampering off. "Remember," he called out over his shoulder. "James Bond and Jim Carrey!"

"Not Jim Carrey!" Scott called out, heading for his own room.

Logan groaned. This night wasn't starting off on the best foot. He glanced to his side, only to see Evan regarding him critically. Logan sighed. "Ya got a problem porcupine?"

Evan opened his mouth to respond, when someone clearing their throat from the top of the stairs caught their attention. Logan turned his eyes upwards and his breath caught in his throat.

It seemed a goddess had graced them with her presence.

***To Be Continued***

R&R, as always. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Reviews encourage me ;)


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